No one hospitalized in salmonella outbreak in Kenosha County

No one has been hospitalized in a salmonella outbreak in Kenosha County, said Diane Bosovich, the assistant director of nursing at the Kenosha County Health Department.

The department confirmed 26 cases of salmonella on Wednesday.

The health department has not pinpointed a single source of the outbreak, although the department has closed Baker Street Restaurant and Pub on Green Bay Road in Kenosha and is testing employees, Bosovich said.

'We have not found anything there. We did it as a precaution to make sure the employees are negative before returning to work,' she said.

The bacterial infection causes stomach cramps, diarrhea and fever about 12 hours to three days after infection, according to a news release from the health department.

People with symptoms should call their doctors or contact the health department at (262) 605-6700.

Typically, people recover from infections in four to seven days and do not require additional care.

The health department opened an investigation when officials noticed an uptick in the number of salmonella cases being reported by area doctors, Bosovich said.

It's not unusual to see a surge in salmonella cases around this time of year, she said.

'Once people start cooking out and handling meat, and maybe eating food that's not completely cooked, it's possible to acquire this,' she said.

People may be infected with salmonella after eating food tainted by the bacteria. Food can also become contaminated by an infected cook or food handler who didn't properly wash his or her hands. To prevent salmonella, avoid undercooked meat and eggs, wash with soap cutting boards and other surfaces that have touched these foods, and wash hands after handling baby chicks, reptiles or pet waste.